Trexquant Investment LP purchased a new position in shares of The Wendy's Company (NASDAQ:WEN - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 1,023,182 shares of the restaurant operator's stock, valued at approximately $16,678,000. Trexquant Investment LP owned approximately 0.50% of Wendy's at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WEN. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Wendy's by 88.7% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 74,242 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,210,000 after buying an additional 34,908 shares during the last quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Wendy's by 4.6% in the fourth quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 801,070 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $13,057,000 after acquiring an additional 35,016 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA grew its holdings in shares of Wendy's by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 22,250 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $363,000 after acquiring an additional 1,805 shares in the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Wendy's during the fourth quarter worth $67,000. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new position in Wendy's in the fourth quarter worth $4,318,000. 85.96% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wendy's Price Performance
Shares of WEN stock traded down $0.58 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $14.07. The stock had a trading volume of 5,334,026 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,094,382. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $14.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.69. The company has a current ratio of 1.85, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 12.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.82 billion, a PE ratio of 14.81, a PEG ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.61. The Wendy's Company has a 12 month low of $13.72 and a 12 month high of $20.65.
Wendy's (NASDAQ:WEN - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 13th. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24 by $0.01. Wendy's had a net margin of 8.65% and a return on equity of 75.56%. The firm had revenue of $574.27 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $564.17 million. On average, equities research analysts predict that The Wendy's Company will post 0.99 EPS for the current year.
Wendy's Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.11%. Wendy's's dividend payout ratio is presently 105.26%.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on WEN shares. Barclays lifted their target price on Wendy's from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a "sector perform" rating and issued a $17.00 target price on shares of Wendy's in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Wendy's from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on shares of Wendy's from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Finally, Wedbush reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $16.00 price objective on shares of Wendy's in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $18.08.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on WEN
Wendy's Company Profile
(
Free Report)
The Wendy's Co engages in operating, developing, and franchising a system of quick-service restaurants. It operates through the following segments: Wendy's U.S., Wendy's International, and Global Real Estate and Development. The Wendy's U.S. segment includes the operation and franchising of Wendy's restaurants in the U.S.
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